Getting hurt at work is a stressful experience. Particularly when people have pursued blue-collar professions, they may worry about losing income because of their injuries. They may also feel anxious about covering the cost of the treatment that their injury requires.
Most employees understand that businesses provide them with workers’ compensation coverage. Still, many professionals feel anxious about filing a claim. They should not have to worry about facing retaliation, as the law protects them from punishment for reporting an incident or seeking appropriate benefits. Despite those protections, many professionals may try to use their own health insurance and resources to cover their injury expenses. Doing so may place them in an unfair position.
Health insurance isn’t particularly generous
Workers may have health insurance policies of their own, possibly partially paid for by their employers. Many workers consider using their standard health insurance to cover work injury treatment expenses. However, doing so puts them in a position where they have to cover patient responsibility costs.
They may have to pay a deductible before their insurance covers anything. According to nationwide policy data from 2023, the average deductible on health insurance policies was $1,735, which is nearly double the average deductible calculated in 2010. Many people have to pay far more than that. Deductibles of $2,000 or even $5,000 are common.
They may also owe coinsurance, which is a percentage of their total costs. Combine those major medical expenditures with lost income, and that is a situation that puts unfair financial pressure on the injured employee.
Workers’ compensation can pay for care
Unlike health insurance, workers’ compensation does not impose any patient responsibility costs. Workers who qualify for benefits can rely on workers’ compensation to pay 100% of their medically-necessary treatment costs.
They may also be eligible for disability benefits that replace a portion of their lost income until they return to work or a doctor declares that they have permanent symptoms. At that point, they may be eligible for either permanent partial disability benefits or permanent total disability benefits.
Workers should not have to empty their savings accounts or burn through all of their paid leave to address the consequences of a job-acquired medical condition. Filing a workers’ compensation claim can protect injured employees from financial hardship and connect them with benefits they deserve because of their employment. A successful claim can reduce the financial pressure that a work injury causes for a professional.